Journal of International Society for the History

Maintenance of Dental Health in Manuscript “Mujiz
Al-Qanun” by Ibn Al-NAFIS
Moustafa MAWALDI * , Abdul Nasser KAADAN ** , Hamed Ziad JABBAN ***
* History of Basic Sciences Dept. Institute for the History of Arabic Sciences, Aleppo University.
** Chairman, History of Medical Sciences Dept. Institute for the History of Arabic Sciences, Aleppo University.
*** Postgraduate Student (Ph.D.) History of Medical Sciences Dept. Institute for the History of Arabic Sciences, Aleppo University.
e-mail: a.kaadan@scs-net.org
JISHIM 2007-2008, 6-7
Introduction
The studies of the anthropology showed that the
concept of the dental prophylaxis was not that old because
the prehistoric man of about 12000 B.C didn’t suffer
from dental caries [1] which is considered one of the
most common disease among people with different ages,
and it works side by side with the nations’ development
[2]. Since we have this wide dental disease research and
the development of the prophylaxis’s ways, so the oral
hygiene becomes a science which was known among the
Arabic physicians as the maintenance of dental health not
Preventive Dentistry[2].
Our prophet Mohammed peace and blessings be upon
him urged us to use different ways to protect our teeth like
rinsing out the mouth three times during the ablution or by
using cleaning teeth stick, in his Hadith he said: “unless I
found it diffi cult for Muslims, I would order them to use the
cleaning teeth stick regularly with every prayer” [3-4].
And there are many sayings concerning the usage of
the cleaning teeth stick, in his book Al-tub Al Nabawi Ibn
al-Qayem al-Jawziah mentioned the advantages of using
the cleaning teeth stick because it cleans, strengthens Al
Amour1 and scents the teeth [7].
Although dentistry was not an independent branch
in medicine, but most physicians paid attention to its
1 -Al Amour: the fl esh between teeth [5] Amer plural Amour, a word for the pedicel
structure of the tooth, Al Ein for the bone, Al Ra’a for the tie and Al Mem for
the cement [6].
Summary
Mujiz al-Qanun is considered one of the most important books by Ibn Al-NAFIS about Ibn Sina’s the head of scientists (Al-Sheik AlRaees) Kitab
al-Qanun Fil-Tub.
Mujiz al-Qanun attracted the attention of many physicians who explained it for many centuries. Ibn Al-NAFIS was not a merely transmitter
for others work, but he was the person of experience and work because he explained many ambiguous idioms and scientifi cally analyzed the dental
prophylaxis pieces of advice that are widely spread nowadays so that shows his deep experience and information.
Key words: Dental Health, Islamic Medicine, Ibn-Sina, Avicenna.
importance since our body is one whole unit; and some
of the Arabic physicians wrote special books for how
to keep your teeth healthy, and that what we call now
Preventive Dentistry like Al-Sewaq wal-Sanonat for John
Ibn Masaweh (d. 243H/857AD), and another book fi Hifz
Sihet al-Asnan wal Litheh wa Estislahiha by Hunayn Ibn
Is`haq (d. 260 H/857AD).
After the fl ourishing of the medical sciences in the
Islamic Arabic civilization, many encyclopedias were
written by many scientists like al-Qanun Fil-Tub for
Ibn Sina (d. 428H/1037A.D), which is summarized by
Ibn Al-NAFIS (d. 687H/1287A.D) in his book Mujiz al-
Qanun; those encyclopedias became the main resources
for many students and practitioners of medicine, so they
wrote different interpretations for them like Sadid al-Din
al-Kazaruni (was still alive 752H/1351A.D), Jamal al-Din
Al-Aqsara’i (800H /1398A.D), Nafi s Ibn Awad al-Kirmani
(d. 853H /1449A.D) and Hakim Shah Ibn-Mubark (d.
920H /1514A.D).
Biography
� His name
IBN AL-NAFIS, ALA’ AL-DIN ALI IBN ABI L-HAZM
IBN AL-NAFIS AL-QARASHI AL DEMASHQI [8]. (Al-
Haram, AL-Qrshi) two wrong spellings [9]; because Al-
Qarshi from Qarash (beyond the river) [10] from which
his family originally came [11] (Quraishi) affi liated to the
tribe of Quraishi according to the tribe of Quraish [12-
13], but actually Ibn AL-NAFIS is from Qarash a small
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